University of Chicago warns of paintball attacks on campus

CHICAGO - The University of Chicago issued an alert Monday warning of a series of recent paintball attacks near and on its campus.

University police have received eight reports over the past several days of people in vehicles firing paintballs at pedestrians, Associate Vice President for Safety and Security Eric Heath and Dean of Students Michele Rasmusen said in the alert.

In one of the incidents, a man and a woman, both 19, were walking about 12:30 a.m. Oct. 5 in the 5300 block of South University Avenue when a male wearing a mask approached them and fired paintballs at them, Chicago police said.

“Several of the incidents reported to the University have occurred on campus while most have occurred off campus,” the alert said. “The incidents have occurred in both daylight and evening hours.”

The alert said the attacks appear to be part of a pattern of paintball incidents reported in the city and suburbs in recent weeks.

“While these incidents typically have not caused serious injury, they pose a community hazard and we take them seriously,” the alert said.